Alexandria, VA Alexandria Permit #482 Gazette Packet Attention Postmaster: Time-Sensitive Material
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PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Alexandria, VA Alexandria Permit #482 Gazette Packet Attention Postmaster: Time-sensitive material. Address Service Requested To: 1604 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 25 Cents Vol. CCXXIV, No. 51 Serving Alexandria for over 200 years • A Connection Newspaper December 18, 2008 End of Pendulum Swings It’s a buyer’s market, but fewer A Curse? are opting to make the purchase. Historic building By Michael Lee Pope that the city is somewhat in- Gazette Packet sulated from trends that at 100 King is have imperiled other local our years ago, a home jurisdictions, Alexandria auctioned for could barely be listed finds itself in a new era — $2.4 million. Fbefore a potential buyer one in which the rules have would appear ready to yet to be fully written. make an offer. Time on the mar- “This is the best buyer’s By Michael Lee Pope ket was frequently listed as a mat- market we’ve seen in years,” Gazette Packet ter of hours rather than days dur- said Haughton. “Prices are ing the height of the seller’s mar- going to be a lot closer to list or years the building at ket, when real-estate values were the southwest intersec- spiraling upward even though F by Photo tion of King and Union salaries remained relatively con- “There’s a lot of streets has been an abandoned stant. But that seller’s market has shell with a historic façade. Ev- ended, and prices have plum- buyers and a lot of ery now and then a new restau- Michael Lee Pope meted to levels that would have rant has opened for a brief pe- been unheard of just a few years money sitting on riod only to close a few months ago. the sidelines.” later. The past two decades “Prices didn’t go up because have seen a number come and people could afford more,” said — Sean McEnearney go — Pelicano, Gaslight, Alamo Susan Haughton, a Realtor with and ultimately a restaurant /Gazette Packet Long and Foster. “They went up than people think.” known simply as 100 King. because people could borrow Recent sales data shows Each had its own distinct rea- more.” that properties are being son for closing, but the unmis- But much of the increase turned sold for prices that would be takable trend is one of failure. out to be an illusion. A dramatic unthinkable just a few “The problems at this build- rise in mortgage delinquencies and months ago: A condo- ing go back many years, cer- foreclosures over the last few years minium on Armistead Street tainly since before I was Several oversized signs advertising the auction were triggered a subprime mortgage sold on Oct. 31 for criticized by City Councilman Paul Smedberg as being crisis that has now morphed into $101,000. A garden apart See Historic, Page 11 “obnoxious.” worldwide financial instability. Although city officials maintain See Buyer, Page 33 Salvation Army ‘Angels’ Face Economic ‘Devils’ 200 wishes still need to be be collected by needy families. That was not the case this year. by Photo fulfilled as deadline nears. “As of Wednesday noon we were 200 ‘Angels’ short. So we are going to hold two distribution days this year in the hope that those 200 Angels will be By Chuck Hagee Chuck Hagee adopted,” Captain Kenneth R. Argot, corps office, Gazette Alexandria Citadel, told those attending the break- fast. ast Thursday morning the Alexandria Citadel Any child that is not “adopted” will get gifts on of The Salvation Army held its annual recog- L Thursday and Friday, Dec. 18 and 19, according to /The Gazette nition breakfast for its Advisory Board and Argot. “Last year we were able to fulfill the wishes volunteers at the Royal Restaurant on North St. Asaph of 670 families. This year those seeking gifts from Street. Following that breakfast each year the group our Angel Trees has risen to 780 families. And, that walks across the street to the building, donated each does not count the 50 seniors we also serve, whose year by Theo Androus, where gifts names were added to the Angel are being assembled for distribu- Trees last year. That brings this Capt. Kenneth Argot (right), Corps Officer, Alexandria tion to children who have been To Help year’s total to over 800,” he said. Citadel, Salvation Army, is joined by his wife Capt. Amy “adopted” by generous citzens. Anyone wishing to adopt an Argot (center), and Carla Daniel Turner, communications The preparation area is normally Angel Tree family should call director, Salvation Army, National Capital Area Command, overflowing with toys, clothing the Alexandria Salvation Army See Salvation Army, Headquarters at 703-836-2427. at the appreciation breakfast for Alexandria Citadel and an array of items waiting to Page 33 volunteers and board members. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ December 18-24, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ December 18-24, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Council Notebook News Losing Gaines Although he already paid the $500 filing fee, launched a Facebook campaign page, scheduled a kickoff event at Generous George’s and named Living Legend Ferdinand Day as his cam- paign chairman, Councilman Ludwig Gaines will not be stand- ing for reelection in the Democratic caucus next month. The two- term councilman made the surprise announcement in a letter dis- tributed by e-mail Monday afternoon, explaining “there are new opportunities beyond council for me to serve our city and nation on the horizon.” Although he did not spell out those options in the letter, Gaines later acknowledged that he was asked to submit his resume to the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama for a Photos by Photos potential appointment in the Department of Justice or the De- partment of Homeland Security. Moving forward with a time- consuming campaign while simultaneously navigating the fed- eral transition process would have been difficult, Gaines said, Louise Krafft and then he might have needed to step down next year shortly after being reelected. Gaines insisted that the decision of former Mayor Kerry Donley to enter the race had no bearing on the timing his decision. “Recycled leadership is not the answer for Alexandria,” said /Gazette Gaines, who said he would like to see more candidates enter the race. “This city needs new and innovative leadership.” The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra presented its annual Children’s Holiday Concert Ethics of Recession last Sunday afternoon. The symphony was joined by members of the Alfred Street City Hall is full of institutional memory, but nobody seems to re- Baptist Choirs, the Westminster Presbyterian Church Choir and the Metropolitan Cho- member the last time the government was forced to layoff massive rus. Kim Allen Kluge celebrating his 20th year in Alexandria directed the performance amounts of employees. Declining revenues and dwindling money at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. from Richmond will force more than 100 layoffs next year, and city agencies are bracing for massive reductions in service that will re- quire difficult decisions and ethical quandaries. Enter ethicist Michael Gillette, who has been working with the Community Services Board for years to chart a course through thorny choices. “Ethics isn’t just touchy feely,” said Councilman Tim Lovain, who observed Gillette in action during the summer of 2006. “It should be integral to what we do.” On several occasions over the last two years, Lovain has pub- licly mentioned how impressed he was with Gillette and how the model could be incorporated into agencies. Now that the economy is officially in recession and budget officials are prepared to make reductions unprecedented in living memory, City Manager Jim Hartmann has hired Gillette as a consultant for the upcoming budget season. Lovain praised the decision, adding that the city is facing an ocean of complex choices over the next few months. “We have people in Alexandria who might die if they don’t re- ceive city services, and that’s got to be our top priority,” said Lovain. “That kind of brings it home about how important these decisions are going to be.” Smedberg Cans Since first being elected to the City Council in 2003, Paul Smedberg has carved out a niche for himself as one of the most fastidious elected officials in Alexandria. He’s been known to ask about the height of outdoor furniture, the source of funding for As a finale, the audience rose from their Eleanor Hawkins rests in her grandmother environmental initiatives, the logic behind who gets to take home seats and sang carols and holiday songs. Dottie’s arms. city-owned vehicles, the size of motor coaches used in the city and the use of the word “stewardesses” in a symbolic resolution. And then there are the trash cans. On several occasions, Smedberg has questioned the consistency of how applicants for special-use permits are required to purchase a city-owned trash cans. Sometimes one amount is used; other Children's times the amount is higher. Some applicants are required to con- tribute to a fund; others are required to purchase a can. Above all, Holiday Smedberg has insisted on numerous occasions, he would like to Concert see consistency. So when the Department of Planning and Zoning inadvertently omitted a trash-can requirement for a new restau- Santa appeared as rant on King Street last weekend, everybody knew what Smedberg the concert would say before he even had a chance to open his mouth. concluded and “I think staff wants to add another condition for the Council- speaks to Olivia man Smedberg trash-can fund,” said land-use attorney Duncan McGuire, Maeve, Blair after the docket item was announced by the clerk.